VANGUARD: National Newsreel

WEDNESDAY, 2ND MAY, 2001
Brains behind new political groups seeking fortune —Gemade

By Sufuyan Ojeifo with agency reports

ABUJA— NATIONAL Chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Barnabas Gemade has dismissed the brains behind the emerging political associations as fortune seekers, even as the National Frontiers led by Second Republic House of Representatives Speaker, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke resolved at a meeting in Abuja yesterday to transform into a full-fledged party next month.

Gemade, at the commissioning of the North-East zonal secretariat of the PDP in Bauchi insisted that there was no need for fresh registration of parties because as he put it "the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had conducted party registration in 1998 and out of the 11 organisations that participated, only two qualified and a third one was registered as the best failure."

He said agitators for party registration "are just trying to cut corners because when the rules were set by INEC in the past, they did not seek registration."

"Political parties are meant to serve as level playing grounds for political aspirations and the PDP is a shinning example for a cross breed of political actors to join and forge the nation ahead", , adding "however, we in the PDP are not in support of fortune seekers, who are only targetting gubernatorial and local government because of the lure of such offices and I will advise them to have a rethink and join PDP that is being rejuvenated."

Gemade described as ignorants, critics who accused him of leading the call for incumbent President Obasanjo to seek reelection in the 2003 polls, saying "the most popular political party in Africa will decide on the issue of its candidate for president in 2003 when the time is ripe."

•National Frontiers transforms to party next month

Meanwhile, National Frontiers, under the leadership of former speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke resolved at a closed-door meeting yesterday in Abuja to transform into a full-fledged political party next month.

Sources close to the meeting said as a prelude to the transformation into a party, some of the associations that constitute the National Frontiers (NF) have formally dissolved and fused into the NF.

The associations are the All Nigeria Congress (ANC) led by Chief Sunday Awoniyi; Eastern Solidarity Forum led by Chief Ezeoke and Senator Bright Nwanne; Destiny 2003 led by Air Vice Marshal Nsikak Eduok and Air Commodore Idongesit Nkaga; NEPU led by Alhaji Musa Musawa, National Initiative for Peace led by Mr. Kenny Martins; and United Nigeria Development Forum led by Col. Habeeb Shuaibu.

Vanguard gathered that the NF, at the meeting resolved to hold consultations with Afenifere (Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation) to explore areas of co-operation in the emerging political dispensation.

The political association are expected to also meet with Ohaneze Ndigbo (Igbo socio-cultural organisation) and the Arewa group in the North as part of deliberate and conscious efforts to carry all sections of the country along in the formation of a virile and formidable alternative political platform to the existing political parties.

The meeting agreed to set up various committees to co-ordinate the activities of the association after it (NF) has concluded consultations with Afenifere, Ohaneze and Arewa forum and reached a collaborative agreement with them.

Yesterday’s meeting was attended by Chief Sunday Awoniyi, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, Alhaji Asheik Jarma, ex-major-Gen. Abdulkareem Adisa; Col. John Madaki, (rtd) Wanteregh Paul Unongo, Mrs Katuryn Hoomkwap, Amb. Bunu Sheriff Musa, Y.Y. Sani, Ahaji Isa Mohammed, Maj. General Onoja, Mrs Magareth Gom, Miskon Peupet, Air Commodore Ibrahim Kefas, (rtd) and Col. Yohanna Dickson (rtd).

Category: News
Date of Article: 05/15/2001
Topic: Chukwumerije, Chu Okongwu, Others Launch Party in
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